Hello.

I have had reflux for a number of years now.

My reflux is primarily at night while I am trying to sleep, key word Trying.

I am currently taking Protonix in the morning which gives me almost 100% relief of any reflux during the day while I am standing up, sitting up working, etc., i.e. in a vertical non-reclining position.

Where my real problem comes is at night when I am trying to get some sleep. I have been sleeping in the recliner for a number of years now in an attempt to keep my chest, etc. elavated. But even though I try to sleep in an upright a position as possible, invaribly, when I get really tired and sleeply, I wind up stretching out in the recliner and then shortly thereafter the reflux wakes me up with the reflux burning my sternum. I have tried sleeping in an elevated bed but I could not sleep like that due to some scar tissue I have from an old surgery.

My doctor has prescribed 300mg Zantac for the nighttime reflux BUT when I take even the 300mg Zantac, it only allows me 1 1/2 to 2 hours sleep before it has apparently worn off and the reflux is coming up into my sternum again.

My question is, is there anything that I can take at night which will allow me to sleep more than 2 hours at a time ??? I have tried taking the Protonix at nighttime in addition to the morning dosage and I still have the nighttime problem. I have tried a number of other medicines but have yet to find anything that will last for more than a couple of hours.

I have recently ordered and tried some Aloe Cure but that seems to be even less effective than the Zantac.

I am afraid that if I don't get some relief from this soon, either I am going to go out of my mind or I am going to have to consider having the laproscopic surgery, which I am just frighted almost out of my mind about since I had such a dreadful experience from a previous hernia surgery (over 20 years of pain now).

Is there any other nighttime medicine that I should try before I seriously consider the surgery ???

Thanks for your suggestions.

wp shooter,

are you on any medication that might contribute to your sleepless nights? I am. I take beta blockers and two types of diuretics (among other things). I believe I have the same type of GERD as you. Between the insomnia from the beta blockers, frequent trips to the bathroom due to the diuretics and GERD I hardly get any sleep at all. It is hard to concentrate at work sometimes, because all I ever want to do is sleep.
I tried sleeping on two thick pillows. I can't sleep (or lie awake) with my upper half elevated like that. I know it would help the reflux a lot. I am not quite ready to use the recliner in place of the bed yet. It's good to know there's that option. I hope someone who's been there can offer some advice. Sorry I haven't been much help. Just know that you are not alone. Hang in there.

flowergirl

Hello wpshooter, does the recliner help you? My reflux only happens when I sleep (around 4-6AM). The wedge pillow doesn't work. If I could find a way to stop it during those two hours I'd be set. I have been thinking of buying a recliner but don't want to waste my money if it doesn't work.

I have the same problem at night. I take Gaviscon before dinner and then also before bed. I also am on Ranitidine twice a day-PPIs didn't help me at all. It's better if I sleep on my left side. Sometimes I take a tranquilizer but I know that doesn't help the LES valve work properly.
I hope you find the combination that works for you each of you.

Hello wpshooter, does the recliner help you? My reflux only happens when I sleep (around 4-6AM). The wedge pillow doesn't work. If I could find a way to stop it during those two hours I'd be set. I have been thinking of buying a recliner but don't want to waste my money if it doesn't work.

Well, yes and no.

I think it helps as long as I don't completely stretch out in a horizontal position. But like I said eventually the need to rest in a comfortable position takes over and I wind up just involuntarily stretching out and then the reflux apparently really starts. But having said that I think that in some ways the recliner is a disadvantage in that since gravity is holding the reflux down "somewhat", I think it winds up being concentrated just above my LES in my sternum area and that makes the burning even worse. I think if there was a way that I could sleep hanging upside down, that the reflux would not burn my sternum as bad but I supposed if I tried that that the reflux would strangle me. Just kidding about trying that !!!

What I have been thinking about is trying to come up with a way to block the recliner so that it can not be reclined back beyond a certain angle. But the real problem that you have with this is if the reflux gets up above your LES at all, it is going to burn you because that area is not made to tolerate the acid.

Bye the way, mine seems to hit about 1 to 4 a.m. What happens is that I will go to sleep and be sleeping pretty good and then I will have either a stressful dream or even a nightmare because the acid is stressing my system and then I wake up to the burning in my sternum.

I don't know that the recliner is really the answer but it is the best that I have been able to come up with so far. If I try to sleep in a regular bed the reflux burns my sternum so bad that I have had pain in my chest like a horse had kicked me in the chest.

But recliner's are really not that expensive these days. You might want to ask your doctor about the advisability of trying one.

If we could just come up with a method for sleeping either sitting or standing up, I don't think we would have a problem at all. Because when you come down to it, this is just a gravity problem with liquid going thru an open pipe. I imagine that you have already found that out for yourself.

Good luck.